


King of Spades

by asimpleline18



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Multi, Past Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Past Kent Parson/Jack Zimmermann, Retirement, background shitty/lardo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asimpleline18/pseuds/asimpleline18
Summary: Kent moved back to New York after retiring to be closer to his mom and his sister. As a way to make her son do something with all his time, she convinces their favorite bakery owner to sell it to Kent when he retires. Meanwhile, Shitty and Lardo moved to New York so Shitty could set up a practice and Bitty moved with them and works at Kent's new bakery. Lardo plays matchmaker but really, these two dumb hockey players belong together.





	1. Benign Takeover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [staccato_ramble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/staccato_ramble/gifts).



> I hope my recipient really likes this! It got way bigger than I thought it would. Also please don't look too closely at how I describe taking over or running a business. I know that it looks like every character spends way too much time working and probably breaking labor laws.
> 
> Edit: Omg. I hope my person didn't start reading but if they did. I'm sorry that I mess up posting. Apparently you have to undraft every chapter separately. >.< Also sorry to people who were brave enough to start something that only had its first and last chapter posted.

Kent stared up at the sign of Gallo's Famous Bakery and wondered again why he thought a bakery would be a good post-retirement investment. Swoops bothered him from half the country away to find something to do and also not "let his money sit around like Scrooge McDuck." To be fair, he also admonished Kent for investing in the culinary scene.

"That's not what I meant, Parse! Everyone knows that food is a tough business to get into. Hell, I think it's even tougher than professional hockey!" Swoops all but shouted over the phone.

He was starting to get odd looks by people passing by. Everything was going to be okay. He was keeping the current staff through the takeover. This was the bakery where his mom got all of his and his sister's birthday cakes when they were growing up. The last time she was in, she talked with  Mr. Gallo , the aging owner, who inferred that Kent's most recent birthday cake would be one of the last he would make for them. She soon started to pester Kent into purchasing the bakery because it was "important to this family" and he couldn't deny her this.

Finally, he stepped inside the air-conditioned bakery to make the joint announcement with Mr. Gallo about his retirement and Kent's subsequent takeover. Kent even wrote out what he wanted to say on notecards. This wasn't something he could come up on the spot like most of his motivational locker room speeches. He had specific things he wanted to communicate and he didn't trust himself to remember it all.

There was a cute blonde a few years younger than Kent taking care of the counter. Something about him seemed familiar but there have been so many fans over the years, the guy could just bear a resemblance to someone else. Kent decided to grab a coffee while he was waiting. He stepped up just as the blonde said with a southern drawl, "Welcome, Mr. Parson. What can I get for you today?"

"You're a hockey fan, I take it?" Kent replied. "It doesn't sound like you come from a hockey town."

"Among other things. I will have you know there is hockey in the south," he replied, mock indignant. "Not everyone is equipped to be a football star down there. And I played hockey in college. Hard to miss hearing about one of hockey's golden sons."

"I don't know about that. I barely made it ten seasons. Bad Bob played twenty seasons and Jagr played until he was like fifty," Kent said with a shrug. "I got taken out too early to be called anything like 'golden.' More like silver."

"I wouldn't be so down on yourself. Anyway, would you like to order anything?" the man asked.

Kent quickly scanned the menu. "Oh yeah. Uh, iced coffee please."

"Is that all?" the cashier asked as he pulled a cup off of a stack and started writing on it.

Kent gave the bakery case a cursory look. "Yeah, that's all for now. Thanks."

The cashier finished ringing up Kent's order and grabbed the coffee while Kent stuffed a few dollars into the tip jar. He was surprised how dead the shop was at this time of afternoon. A few people were clearly regulars camped at their usual tables but no one had lined up after Kent during his exchange with the man at the counter.

"So, is it always like this in the afternoons?" Kent asked, digging a little while it just seemed conversational.

"Pretty much. It's more busy on the weekends," the blond answered. "Oh, my name's Eric by the way. I forgot to put on my nametag this morning. I'm not usually the one out here."

Kent shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Just at that moment Mr. Gallo came out from the back. "Kent! Great to see you. Give me just one more moment to round up the rest of the afternoon staff. We're only missing part timers who work weekends or mornings. I was planning a more formal meeting for an evening next week."

"So, not just a random visit from a hockey star?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I made every one of Kent's birthday cakes. I even shipped a few out to Las Vegas when he didn't come home for the Fourth," Mr. Gallo said. "His mother has been coming here for her special orders for almost thirty-five years. Let me find  David  and Larissa."

He went through to the back again and called their names. Eric sized Kent up, obviously aware that something big was happening. Kent tried to look as innocent as possible. He wasn't interested in being interrogated before he could answer everyone's questions at once.

Mr. Gallo came back with two other people in tow. The woman looked familiar in the same way as the cashier had. He just couldn't place their faces. Mr. Gallo interrupted Kent's thoughts and said, "Okay, everyone. I have some news. I have decided to retire. Now, I was just going to close down the business but a long-time regular convinced me to sell it to her son instead. I would like you all to meet Kent Parson."

He gave a little wave as Mr. Gallo continued. "I'll be leaving at the end of August. Kent will be taking over but I'll let him speak for himself."

He gestured to Kent and Kent took a breath. "Okay, so if you know who I am, you know that I've recently retired from the NHL because of a career ending injury," he waved at his left knee that still had a brace on it. "It was gently suggested by multiple people that I find something to do. I hope to keep this shop running as it should. Mr. Gallo and I agreed to rebrand it as to not sully his family name. Other than a few renovations, I don't expect much to change around here, including the staff if you wish to stay."

There was more than one relieved face when he alluded to keeping the current staff. Kent never had to find a career in earnest and he had enough money and offers in the sports world to keep it that way. "Any questions?" he asked when he had nothing more to say.

Eric asked, "What are you going to call it?"

"I have no idea," Kent said. "I'm hoping to get inspiration with what you guys have going on already. So if anyone has any ideas they want to throw out, please feel free. That's all I have to say."

Everyone broke up after that. Larissa approached Kent. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah, I beat you at flip cup at a hockey frat years ago," she answered.

"No way. You're that chick that party hard with the Samwell men's hockey team. Lardo, right? That's why I wasn't sure. So, got rid of your old nickname?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Well, things just fall away after college. I imagine you've already recognized Bitty."

"Who?"

"The cute blonde behind the counter," she supplied. "You recognize me but not him. He's objectively more famous than I am. He was Jack Zimmermann's boyfriend when he won his first Cup."

Kent looked back over at the man. His hair had grown longer and shaggier since the last time he had seen him on TV when the Falconers won their first cup. "Ohhh, yeah. I remember him from the frat and stuff. I had a lot of my own stuff when Zimms decided to out himself," he trailed off.

"And he's single," Lardo added.

"That's not why I'm here," Kent said defensively.

"Don't worry, Mr. Parson," she said with a smirk. "We're all just looking for love in this world."

Kent gave the man another glance. "Yeah, but I have a bad track record for ruining love."


	2. New Names

Kent visited the bakery and cafe just about everyday at different times. He justified the coffee and sweets by calling it research into the products he would get the recipes to and the clientele whether they be regulars, semi-regulars, or tourists. Really, it was that Kit was starting to drive him crazy. Neither of them were prepared for his retirement and she spent much of the time he was in his condo underfoot or pawing at him for scritches.

Most of the time, he read business books or a novel when he couldn't even look at the pile of business books. He signed up for online courses in the fall for a local college, hoping that his extracurricular reading would bridge the gap until he had more formal and better training.

In observing the cafe, he learned the pecking order of the workers. Eric and Larissa were usually the bakers, supplying the cafe with treats as the shelves ran out through the day and preparing for the night bakers or next day. Larissa made a lot of the doughs, fillings, and icings while Eric combined each element to make the baked goods. The part timers were usually cashiers, servers, and bussers and David managed them and helped out when the cafe got busy.

Mr. Gallo mostly stayed in his office and did the business of "running things" as he said when he wasn't filling cake orders. He still liked to handle those orders personally. Otherwise, he'd poke his head out every once in a while when he got bored. Even then, he usually pestered the kitchen, getting underfoot of the smooth routines of Larissa and Eric.

The staff kept up a steady flow of coffee and pastries to Kent but most often, it was Eric doing it while he took a small break and collapsed into the chair across from him. They chatted about a lot of different things but as the summer progressed, they talked more about the new season of hockey and ideas for the bakery. Eric had a lot of recipes that weren't being used because the current cookbook was Mr. Gallo's alone.

On days he wasn't at the bakery, he was out looking for an interior designer he liked. He looked through tons of portfolios but the firms were all reluctant to work on the project because Kent still didn't have a name or theme for the remodel. Still, he was able to make a short list of firms for when he was ready with his side of things.

One day in early August found Kent sitting at the bakery, hitting his head on the notebook in which he was brainstorming new names. It was useless. He named his cat after himself partially because was easier than actually trying to come up with an actual name. Plus, it helped keep his straight bro bachelor image at the time.

Lardo sauntered over with a latte and a mini mixed berry pie. "Okay, so I came up with something but feel free to tell me if it goes too far."

Kent narrowed his eyes at her. "I know your partner's name so I'd like to remind you that profanity is usually not appreciated on signage."

She laughed. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten. Actually, it just might be taken the wrong way by the wrong people. It's the 'King of Spades' since you're you and you played for the Aces which uses a spade for its logo."

He groaned. "I'm not completely against it but it's so cheesy. Plus, 'Joker of Spades' would be more fitting."

"Whatever it is, you could bring a little Vegas to New York and BItty's real secret is that he's a masterful decorator. 

He could make designs to match the atmosphere. Plus, you don't have to hire a cake decorator. It's not his favorite because he's such a perfectionist at it but he practices sometimes since it's something to perfect and part of baking," Lardo said excitedly.

Kent thought about it. He was starting to run out of time if he planned to start renovations as soon as Mr. Gallo retired. "It's better than everything I thought. But no pink or teal anywhere. That's so fifties and I hate those colors to my core. We'll start with the cards aspect and go from there. It's so hard to do a Vegas theme that isn't old or gambling based."

"It's your world, boss," Lardo shrugged. "If you need any design help, I am an artist. This is just the day job."

"Cool. I might pick your brain about designers. You need to tell me which ones are going to push the 'traditional' Vegas theme," he said looking at the pile of portfolios.

" 'Swawesome," she said and held out a fist.

Kent bumped it with his and he knew he was agreeing to something more than an artistic opinion.


	3. Taking a Breather

Kent wanted to die. It was September fifthand the cafe around him was pulled to studs and concrete. Lardo was good to her promise and things were going okay until the contractor told him that the supplies they needed were running late. On top of that, the tables he chose were discontinued just after he signed off with the design firm and they were in the process of finding a replacement. Kent really pushed for traditional four legged tables. He hated going to places and finding that the table wobbled.

Luckily, the more sofas, armchairs, and side tables were on their way though he didn't know where they were going to go in the meantime. He added "find a self-storage unit" to his mental to-do list. Kent forgot his actual planner at home and his phone died. Nothing felt like it was going the way he wanted no matter how much he worked to plan it.

"Kent?" Eric asked behind him. "Are you okay?"

He turned around to see the blond who snuck up on him. "I don't know," Kent said honestly.

"Come on back to my place and I whip something up for you. My mama always told me there's little a good home cooked meal can't fix," he said putting a hand on Kent's arm to guide him away from the unfinished mess that is the cafe. "Plus, I've been working on recipes and I'd like for you to try some for the grand opening. Mr. Gallo was a good boss but he was set with his cookbook. Maybe it's not just the atmosphere that needs a change."

"I should really be working on something. If not the cafe, then I have plenty of homework," Kent protested weakly. What Eric was proposing sounded really nice. He missed hanging out with everyone at the cafe.

Eric looked at him sceptically. "Do you have your stuff with you?"

"Most of it," Kent replied.

"I have a table and internet connection. Seriously, you need a break and change of scenery since this isn't it right now."

Kent obediently followed. It was about a fifteen minute walk to the two bedroom apartment where Eric lived with Lardo and her partner, a mysterious guy they referred to as "shitty." He wasn't sure if it was a nickname or if the guy was kind of shitty. Considering what he knew about the pair that worked in his bakery, he assumed the former. He couldn't imagine them putting up with too much toxicity.

True to his promise, Eric directed Kent to their dining table and provided the Wifi password. He puttered around the kitchen gathering and chopping ingredients for a good summer salad. They both focused on their own tasks. The silence was broken when Eric wanted to make sure Kent wasn't allergic to something or if he was okay with an ingredient.

When Kent got through the page of basic stats problems he was having trouble with and avoiding, he was glad Eric dragged him away from the cafe. The company and change of scenery was more necessary than he thought. Just then, Eric brought over two salads topped with in season fruits, grilled chicken, and a light vinaigrette.

"Dude, this looks amazing. I should steal you from the bakery to be my personal chef," Kent said with a wink.

"You wish. I'd cost you so much more money as a chef. Plus, I don't have the variety. Really, this is pretty basic. I got it from Pintrest," Eric deflected.

Kent took a bite. "I don't care. This is so much better than anything I would have put together."

They ate in relative silence for a while before Kent decided to ask about Eric's recipes. "So, is this something you could imagine in the cafe? I mean, I know it's more a coffee and pastry place but what about adding simple food? I know it's a trend but I really think we could add something easy and healthy."

"No. I was mostly thinking about pies," Eric replied, spearing a piece of mandarin orange and some lettuce. "That's my specialty. I've been making them as long as I've been able to reach the counter."

"Really? I'm surprised because there weren't ever pies at the bakery," Kent said.

Eric shrugged. "Mr. Gallo wasn't a fan of introducing products he couldn't personally make. He was definitely better at cakes and other traditional baking. He couldn't ever get the crust right."

"Are pies on the menu of things to show me?"

He turned a little red. "Actually, I wasn't going to bother. I had things like different flavor cake pops. Lardo wanted me to make pies but I wanted to start with stuff that was more like what the bakery already served."

"Well, that won't do. If my new head baker's specialty is pie, then we should taste a bunch of pies," Kent said with a smirk.

"Head baker?" Eric had clearly attached to a different part of that sentence.

"Yeah, who else would it be? I'm just the owner and operator," Kent said with a shrug. "Lardo's nice and a good worker but I've seen you two work. She usually follows your lead unless it's something she could do in her sleep."

Eric rubbed the back of his neck. "It's still a surprise and an honor. I didn't exactly have this on my career plan."

"What is your career plan?" Kent asked, truly interested.

"Whatever puts a roof over my head and food on the table with a chance to make pie sometimes," he answered honestly. "I haven't really had a goal since- well, since Jack and I came out on the ice all those years ago. Being the boyfriend of the first out NHL player has its pitfalls."

"Oh, yeah." It's not like Kent had forgotten about their shared experience of being Jack Zimmermann's ex-boyfriend. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking. You two looked good together."

Eric shrugged. "Stress, not enough time to fulfill our relationship needs. Stuff normal couples break up over. I can't say it was easy but I think it was good in the end. I jumped on the chance to move with Lardo and Shitty. I was really close to Lardo going through Samwell and they really helped out during the kiss aftermath."

Kent thought about his found family back in Vegas. "It's good that you found people like them. I've experienced how much it helps to have good people around you. Vegas almost ate me alive but Swoops helped even though he was only a year older than me."

"Jack told me some of what you two went through. It's good that you found people too," he said wistfully. "It's not an easy world otherwise."

"No," Kent agreed. "No, it's not."

* * *

 

Eric had him taste some of his experiments with coffee or various teas Eric would pair with each treat. Kent really appreciated the lengths Eric was taking with his preparations. This was one thing he didn't have to worry about learning and knowing right away. Running the rest of it was already stressing him out enough. Eric wanted to save the other half for later so Kent would be able to mull over things without being overloaded.

They both went back to their own things except this time, Eric worked on a pie as per Kent's request. Kent couldn't help but be lowkey excited. Lardo brought it up sometimes but he felt Eric had been holding out on him on purpose. Now, he didn't have and excuse and Kent could watch his whole process if he wanted.

Around dinner time, the apartment door burst open and a mustachioed man in a suit howled, "Bitty! My sun and stars, is that pie I smell?"

"Isn't that what you should be calling Lardo?" Eric asked, laughing as he poked his head out of the kitchen.

The man's face fell. "Did you learn nothing during our  _ Game of Thrones _ marathon?" he said with mock sadness. "She's the moon of my life."

Eric met Kent's eyes and did a little eye roll. "Apparently not."

"Bruh, we're going to teach this to you no matter how many times we have to marathon it," the other man said as he started pulling off clothes.

"Shitty, we have a guest," Eric said with emphasis and jerked his head to where Kent was sitting.

"Oh right, clothes," he said casually and walked into one of the bedrooms.

Eric chuckled. "Sorry. That man always had problems keeping an appropriate amount of clothes on. He forgets  _ often _ ."

Kent laughed. "No problem. I presume that's Shitty."

"The one and only," Eric said dryly.


	4. Grand Opening

Eric was surprisingly good at being second-in-command. He let Kent handle the business side of things but also did a lot to keep Kent out of his head. They had a standing meeting every Thursday to try a different cafe in the city to scope out what was popular but also expand their palettes. Most of it went over Kent's head but he was getting a crash course into the stuff that Bitty did.

School trudged along. Kent had to do a lot to remember basics that he hadn't practiced in years as well as keep up with new material. He was never very grade oriented but now that it wasn't just a possible obstacle to playing hockey, he actually cared.

Slowly, he became more accustomed to spending time at Haus 4.0 as he had been informed late one night when Shitty was completely wasted. It was so much more homely than his codo. He didn't have the same kind of things that normal people collected. Though he liked to read, most of his library was in ebook form instead of filling floor to ceiling bookcases. He had collected various nick nacks his first two years and just switched to magnets after.

Kent also learned that Lardo kept a studio in the small basement apartment if it could have been called that. She spent a lot of her extra time there brainstorming or creating. She promised him some art to hang on the cafe walls when it was done. Kent had seen some of her old stuff when she gave him the grand tour and knew that whatever she would make would be awesome.

Things started coming together by the end of the month. The contractor's work was going according to the new plan. Kent settled on a different kind of table and made sure the order was placed the very same day. He found a home for the other furniture and Bitty had menus planned for the soft openings and grand opening. Kent agreed that they'd settle on a regular menu after tracking what customers bought.

The more he worked on things, Kent came up with ideas for special and charity events. He really wanted to do something with the humane societies in the city considering his popularity as Kit's personal social media manager. Maybe he'd find her a new friend during one.

Kent was ready to announce an opening day for the King of Spades halfway through October. The decorating was mostly done and they planned for soft openings toward the end of the month with the grand opening being Halloween. He wanted to run a promotion for a free treat to people who came in dressed up.

By this point, he had started contacting local media outlets for publicity. No one could resist a feel good story of a hometown boy coming back to take over an old, beloved cafe and bakery. He even brought Kit dressed up as Tinker Bell with him to some of the interviews. Social media sites especially blew up after those interviews. Kent just hoped that everything wouldn't just be a flash in the pan because of his celebrity status.

He started having stress nightmares as the month continued. The semester was almost half over and he was dealing with midterms as he simultaneously dealt with the bakery. After the hiccups in the beginning, things felt like they were just going too well. At least Bitty had convinced Kent to give him access to the social media accounts. David was an amateur photographer and he took pictures to help promote hype. Most of them were of Bitty and Lardo experiment in the bakery's kitchen. He had a good eye for food photography. When Kent mentioned that, he just gave him a dry look and said something about who couldn't be good at it when they lived in such a foodie city.

Finally, Kent stood in the middle of the cafe and gazed around at the product of so many people. The walls were painted white with stencilled hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Behind the counter, there was a giant spade with the name of the bakery overlaid in white. David got a picture of Kent standing in front of it and captioned the picture, "The King of Spades himself."

The black couches and matching armchairs were so comfy. Kent fell asleep on them more than once during the decorating process. They put up a bookcase and they bought books at thrift stores to start a "take one leave one" shelf. Lardo's art went up as promised. Kent offered to put price tags on them so Lardo could sell them through the bakery but she made it clear that they were cafe specific and she'd take up the offer in the future if she had anything.

Kent invited his mom and sister to the friends and family night. Bitty and Lardo invited Shitty along with a couple they named Dex and Nursey which Kent suspected weren't their real names. Dex was a programmer working at a large company that kept an office in New York while Nursey was a poet. Kent got into a lengthy conversation with him about setting up some kind of open mic night or poetry workshop. He even got to pull out his brand new business cards for the exchange.

His sister and Lardo talked for a long time. He even thought he saw conspiratal glances his and Bitty's way. Kent did not need Lardo to pull more people into her plot to get him and Bitty together. She apparently knew things he didn't but it never seemed like she was this infuratingly pushy toward Bitty, only Kent.

He let it go because after the friends and family night, they had a few press evenings and some soft openings with drinks only. Soon it was day before Halloween and Kent couldn't sleep. Kit slunk out of the room after the first hour of Kent's tossing and turning. The last time he had this problem, they were on game seven of the Stanley Cup championship which they won.

Finally, he sat up and turned on a light. He sent texts to Swoops and Bitty, hoping one of them were still up. It was Bitty who responded.

_ Eric: I can't sleep either. Lardo's sleeping like a baby as far as I know. She usually sneaks off to her studio when she's stressed _

_ Kent: I wish I had an outlet like that. Kit abandoned me _

_ Eric: I'm trying my best to not bake something right now _

_ Kent: Save it for tomorrow. We'll have enough to do _

_ Kent: I'm going to try to sleep again _

_ Bitty: Goodnight. I'll try counting sheep or cards or something _

_ Kent: Lol. Goodnight _

The day dawned brighter and earlier than Kent would have liked. He could feel the lost sleep pulling on his eyelids but he jumped out of bed just in case he fell back asleep. Kent pulled on a Captain America shirt and jeans. He didn't want to open the cafe in full costume.

"Wish me luck," he said to Kit where she was perched on the back of the sofa. She meowed back.

Lardo and Bitty were already waiting out front for him with coffees in hand and bunny ears on their heads. "Ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I can be," Bitty answered with a yawn.

Kent let them all in and turned off the security system. He started turning on appliances behind the counter. The night bakers had prepped dough and treats that needed to rise. Lardo pulled out things that were ready for the oven while Bitty started assembling mini pies. For the first day especially, he settled on blackberry and raspberry pies with piece of dough cut in their corresponding suit on top. They were a hit with people during the test openings.

The cafe was busy all day and Kent took pictures with everyone who came in dressed up and a few who weren't. David had officially been put on photo duty that day and Kent manned the register. He had a part timer who worked the coffee bar. The day was exhausting but so satisfying after all the stress Kent went through to rebrand the place. He couldn't have imagined the day going any better than it did.

He flipped the card to "Closed" at nine o'clock on the dot. A lot of people Kent recognized as regulars to Gallo's had showed up. Kent hoped to keep their business even though they had to find other haunts while they were closed for the remodel. The people remaining in the cafe slowly trickled out while they cleaned up. When the last one left, Kent went to the back and came back with bottles of champagne. He forgot flutes but they made due with mugs.

Nobody drank until Kent gave a toast. "I want to thank everyone here tonight. You all have been so supportive and helpful the past few months. Today's success has so much to do with all of your hard work. Here's to many more days like this."

Everyone cheered at that and started drinking. Bitty sidled up to Kent and said, "Don't discount what you did. You put in a ton of hard work learning how to do this and using your image to generate press about us."

"Yeah," Kent agreed. "I guess there is life beyond hockey after all."

Bitty clinked his mug against Kent's. "We all learn that someday."


	5. Glory Days

Swoops called Kent when the Aces were preparing for a east coast road trip and were going to play the Islanders in the middle of it.

"Yeah, dude. It's be awesome to see you and the guys," Kent said into the phone. "I keep meaning to schedule time to visit but I've been so busy with the bakery."

"No problem, man. I get it. I can't say I've had the time to visit you either. Plus, me and the guys can see the king in his castle," Swoops joked.

Kent groaned. "I can't believe I didn't have the foresight to see all the chirps."

"We do it because we love you. Hey, I have to go. Things are getting busy and I need to spend time behind the counter."

"Mr. Popular Hockey Star needs to man the cash register to attract more business more like it," Swoops teased.

Kent would have stuck out his tongue if they were having this conversation face-to-face. "Hey, someone told me I had to find something to do during my retirement. I can't help it if he doesn't like it."

Swoops laughed. "Alright, man. Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later. Good luck with your game tonight," Kent said.

* * *

 

Kent tried to prepare himself and his bakery for a hockey team but he still felt overwhelmed when they did show up. He had closed to the public for the afternoon. The regulars who didn't get the memo peered in at them but moved on when they realized it was a private party.

The espresso machine was running on all cylinders and Bitty dished out treats and recommendations as quick as he could. He and Kent had to dance around each other more than once in order to avoid spilling whatever was in their hand. Too often, it was a hot drink which still sloshed on someone's hand.

After the bulk of the players had been served, Bitty shooed him out to spend time with his friends. He stayed behind the counter long enough to make himself a coffee and select a cherry mini pie.

"So who's the cutie behind the counter?" Swoops asked as Kent joined him.

He looked over to see Bitty restocking and wiping down the counters. "That's Bitty — Eric. He's worked here for like three years along with Lardo."

Swoops gave Kent a look. "Interesting. Is he in a relationship?"

"One, I'm not going to ruin a professional relationship with one of my employees. Two, just because you have an open relationship with your wife does not mean you can get involved with one of my employees either. I like all of them too much for you to screw it up," Kent explained.

He got puppy eyes in return. "But he's so cute."

"Dibs," Kent said defensively.

" _ Dude _ ," Swoops said as if Kent wounded him. "You can't call dibs if you don't have any intention of hitting that."

"It's my bakery. I can and I will," he said. "Flirt with him all you want but don't you dare take him home tonight."

"Fine," Swoops pouted. "You guys are coming tonight, right?"

Kent rolled his eyes. They already talked about all the plans. The Aces organization already pulled strings to get him a box for him and his staff. Originally it was a couple of tickets but Kent refused to choose who would go. He's friendly with most of his staff and good friends with others but he didn't want to choose favorites especially because he had the money and connections to accommodate everyone. He even dug out his old jersey to wear that night. He didn't want to spill anything on it while working. He already had too many coffee stained shirts.

The staff mingled with the players, getting autographs and selfies. Just before the team had to go back to get ready for the game, they took a group photo for the bakery wall. Kent promised them he would send them copies and a quality print for the players to sign and return. The novelty of Kent's celebrity was starting to wear off but he wondered if he could become a place to go for sports teams who traveled to NYC.

After the team left, everyone pitched in to clean up and make sure the bakery was prepared enough for the next day. Everyone at the bakery changed in the backroom or bathroom and they headed to the arena together.

Kent thought his first hockey game after retiring, especially and Aces game, would grind on his nerves more than it actually did. Every time the Aces scored, he, Lardo, and Bitty would celly. It startled Kent to learn that Bitty was the right height to kiss without having to stoop or stretch. The rest of the night, he was self conscious of this fact during the following two cellies and when the Aces won.

Scrappy had texted that Kent and his friends should come out with them to celebrate with the team. He almost turned it down but Lardo also saw the text and convinced them that one drink at a bar wouldn't hurt. They all knew how to work after a late night and the team could go clubbing after. Only Bitty and Lardo followed Kent down to the locker room.

Someone (Swoops) must have debriefed the team on Kent's crush because he was placed next to Bitty at every opportunity. Bitty didn't seem to notice but Lardo did and Kent was convinced he saw her and Swoops fistbump on the down low. He was infinitely glad that those two didn't live close enough together to plot all the time.

Kent already knew Bitty was an effusive drunk from the grand opening party they held after the first full day at the Spades. He avoided looking at him too much and talked to Scrappy most of the time. The blush mingling with Bitty's freckles was already too much for Kent let alone how Bitty's accent came back the more he drank.

They bowed out before any of them got drunk enough to agree to go clubbing. Bitty bumped shoulders with Kent multiple times as they made their way to the subway.

"You should stay at our place tonight. It's closer to work and you can sleep in a little," Lardo said practically.

"I don't know. I don't want to impose," Kent said as he shot her a warning look.

"It's nothing," Bitty assured him. "You can take my bed and I've slept on the couch enough to know that it's comfy."

He was wandering into uneasy territory. "I really can't."

"Nonsense. You're coming with us, mister," Bitty said decisively.

When they got to their stop, Bitty made sure to catch Kent's arm and pull him along with them.


	6. Chapter 6

Kent woke up the next day realizing that it was worse waking up sober in Bitty's bed than it was going to sleep in it. He now had the presence of mind to savor the smell of Bitty on the pillowcase and the softness of his sheets. Turning on his side, Kent saw a brown ear sticking up from between the bed and the wall. He pulled it out to find a well work bunny with a mock King of Spades staff T-shirt and it made his heart swell. He would probably have his own stuffed cat from when he was young if that wasn't the first thing Kit ripped up when she got full access to his condo in Las Vegas.

As much as he wanted to stay in bed, he started to feel more and more awkward doing it in one that wasn't his own especially because its usual occupant was on the sofa outside. He stumbled to the bathroom across the hall to relieve himself and assess the previous night's damage. He seriously hoped one of the apartment's occupants had hair gel. After brushing his teeth with his finger and toothpaste, washing his face, and gelling his hair to something more presentable, he stepped into the living room. For a moment, Kent thought Bitty was already up until he realized what he thought was balled up blankets was actually him.

How could he not find Bitty attractive at this point? He exuded warmth, naturally created safe harbors for everyone around him, and was beyond cute. Kent turned toward the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and maybe raid the fridge for something to eat before going into work. He should wake Bitty but he wanted his earlier feelings to be as far away as possible before facing an awake Bitty.

As he watched the coffee drip into the pot, Kent heard sounds coming from the other room. Bitty walked into the kitching rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Morning," he said, eyes still barely open.

"Morning," Kent greeted in return and continued to contemplate the coffee pot.

Bitty sidled up next to him and rested his head on Kent's shoulder while he also contemplated the brewing coffee. When it was close to done, he pulled four mugs out of a cupboard. As if on cue, they listened as someone from Shitty and Lardo's room went into the bathroom. Kent and Bitty were sitting at the dining table when Shitty stumbled into the room in just his boxers.

"Brah, I was was so devastated when I couldn't join you all last night even though I'm more of a Falconer's man," Shitty said to Kent once he sat down with his own coffee.

"I won't hold it against you," Kent said cooly.

A few minutes later, Lardo seemed to float into the room, completely ready for her day. Kent watched her in amazement. He already knew she was a kickass person but this cemented it. Lardo had pretty much kept up with drinks the night before.

"You do realize how late it is, right?" she asked prepared her coffee in a travel mug.

Bitty looked at the wall clock and jumped up. He rushed into his bedroom and slammed the door in his haste. "Don't worry, he's pretty speedy," she told Kent and sipped at her coffee.

Sure enough, Bitty was back five minutes later and putting on his coat to leave. The trio bid Shitty a goodbye and walked to the cafe. The mood was subdued by the ghost of the alcohol from the night before. Kent unlocked the door and they all went to their respective tasks. He needed to change his shirt. He wasn't sure how smelly he was but he didn't want to risk it and changed into one of his emergency shirts.

Lardo and Bitty were in full preparation mode and were already into their routine. Kent let them be and fidgeted at the front counter making sure it was fully stocked. He helped with one of his part timers, Emma, through the morning rush. She was completely capable on her own but Kent wanted to do anything but be alone with his thoughts that morning.

He went back to the kitchen around eleven to see how the kitchen staff were doing. Lardo was on her break while Bitty filled cream puffs and piped faces on their tops. It was a popular treat for children who visited while tagging along with their caregivers while they ran errands. Bitty shooed him out of the kitchen when he started taking too many tastes of the filling.

Not knowing what to do with himself, he leaned against the counter and observed the cafe. There were a lot of faces he recognized from before he officially took over the shop and a few that started to stick around longer than picking up a morning coffee or a lunch to be eaten over work in a cubicle. Even though the day before made him realize how much me missed his team and being around them all the time, he recognized how well he had been otherwise and how he'd created a similar atmosphere with the Spades.

His thoughts strayed to his head baker. Kent didn't know how to interpret that morning's event in Bitty's kitchen. He was so out of flirting practice. Was Bitty just that affectionate before his first cup or was it that he was Kent? That same man startled Kent out of his reverie to put the finished pan into the case.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" he asked as he closed the case door.

"Stuff," Kent said vaguely. "It was nice to see my old team yesterday. Most of my friends are still on the team which I knew but it was still good to see the evidence with my own eyes."

Bitty smiled at him. "Yeah, they were all so nice and seemed like genuinely good people."

"They are. They really are."


	7. Chapter 7

Soon, it was December and business was still bustling. It wasn't quite as busy as when it opened and everyone was clambering to get a chance to see Kent Parson in his new endeavor. Still, there were plenty of holiday orders and everyone put in as much work as they could. Kent definitely put himself on the hook to make sure everyone got a holiday bonus.

They had reduced hours through a lot of the last two weeks of December. Some of the part time college kids went home. Shitty and Lardo went to Boston to visit their parents together. Bitty decided to not go home and leave Kent without a baker. He tried to explain to Bitty that he had no problem actually closing the bakery while the staff couldn't be around. Bitty just waved him off and Kent didn't think it was fair to grill him about it. Instead, he invited Bitty to his parents house. Kent's mom and sister had already been enamored with Bitty while it gave Kent's step-dad a better chance to get to know him. He would stop in the bakery more often but he worked across the city while Kent's mom was within walking distance which is why she started going all those years before.

Kent was especially suspicious when he caught Cassidy laughing together and speaking in low tones. He couldn't help but feel they were talking about him but he tried to convince himself it was about funny stories from work. Even though he told Bitty multiple times that he wasn't required to bring gifts, he did anyway. He got Kent's mom a winter hat, scarf, and glove set in slate gray. Cassidy received a similar set but it was rainbow to match her current scarf which had started to unravel due to a Kit incident. For Kent, he had made a little staff T-shirt for Kit.

"Dude, this is great and all but I'll send along the pictures of the scratches along with her in it if I manage to wrestle it on her," Kent laughed.

"Oh, sorry. I should have asked if she would wear it," Bitty said self consciously.

Kent didn't want to seem ungrateful. "Don't worry about it. Just because she won't like it doesn't mean that I don't love it. I'm going to test her patience and do my best to put it on her. She'd look really adorable and give the people of Instagram what they want."

They both chuckled at that. "I do have one more thing," Bitty said and handed Kent another package.

He tore into it and saw a spade knitted into a field of red. He pulled out a scarf that was clearly handmade and unfolded it. Across the back of the neck it said, "King of Spades" with the spade motifs adorning the ends. It was completely unexpected. Apparently, baking wasn't the only craft Bitty knew.

"This is awesome," Kent said as he wrapped it around his neck. It was a little scratchy but the wool felt right. "Now I really feel bad. I didn't plan on you bringing gifts and I'm bad at gifts for people I've known my whole life."

It was true. Kent gave his sister a variety of gift cards to stores she visited often and it was the same for his parents except they were all for restaurants.

"No need," Bitty said. "It is enough that I'm not spending Christmas alone in my apartment."

"No, no. You deserve better," Kent said, turning over things in his mind. "What if I took you to dinner? I can get us into some very popular and interesting places."

Bitty shook his head. "Kent, really. It's not a big deal."

"Not listening. I'll see what kind of reservations I can get this week," he said, ignoring Bitty's protestations.

* * *

 

The Spades had restricted hours New Year's Eve and they saw a few regulars stop in with friends and family for a warm drink while shopping or showing out-of-town relatives around. Kent had planned a New Years party for the staff at the cafe. There was nowhere else he wanted to be than surrounded by the people who mattered to him. The locals invited their partners and families along. Even Scrappy and Swoops made the trip with their wives to ring in the new year with Kent and his cohorts.

He had it catered and everyone had access to the day's leftovers in the case. Bitty made a sheet cake especially for the night but everyone picked at their favorite treats too. As it neared midnight, Kent popped a few bottles of champagne and started filling plastic flutes. He made sure everyone had a drink in hand in preparation for midnight.

Kent was so distracted by what he was doing and then the countdown that he didn't realize that basically everyone paired off and that he had been unknowingly paired off with Bitty. He clinked glasses with Bitty at midnight while some people cheered and others kissed.

Lardo shouted over the commotion at them, "Just kiss him already!"

It was difficult to tell which one of them she was talking to but Bitty looked just as startled as Kent. He looked over at him and didn't look away. Kent stopped fighting his feelings for his head baker for once and asked, "May I?"

Bitty just nodded and they both leaned together for their midnight kiss. Years later, Kent still pestered Lardo about what made her yell at them in that moment but he was grateful she did. David had been taking photos all night and he captured Kent and Bitty's first kiss.They were standing almost perfectly in front of the spade behind the register. It couldn't have been a more perfect picture in Kent's opinion.

"So," Kent said when he pulled back.

"So," Bitty said, face flushed.

"I know I already promised a cute guy a dinner as a Christmas gift but I was wondering if that guy would also be interested in a date," Kent said as smoothly as he could.

Bitty smiled. "I don't know. I was really looking forward to my makeup present. Maybe I'll say yes to something after that."

"Or, I could actually find you a present and call dinner a date," Kent suggested. It was difficult to tell if Bitty really did mean for the Christmas dinner to be completely platonic or if he was flirting.

"It better be good if it's going to be this late," Bitty teased.

"Some countries don't exchange gifts until the Epiphany so I still have time. We're still in the Christmas season," he retorted.

Bitty mock sniffed, "Fine, but no skimping on dinner, Mr. Parson."

"I'm a retired hockey star worth millions, I'm sure I can still wine and dine you properly," Kent said cockily.

Swoops decided they had gone on long enough. "Okay, okay. Get a room and figure this out later. We're still ringing in a new year!"

Kent pushed him and circulated around the rest of the party. His new year was already looking pretty promising.


End file.
